A mother who was charged by deputies for putting a heart shaped design tattoo on her daughter's arm says her rights are being taken away.

According to a report with the Rowan Sheriff's Office, a woman tattooed her 12-year-old daughter, a violation of North Carolina law.

Anna Marie Yates, 29, was charged last week with tattooing a person under 18.

"I feel like it's unfair because that's my daughter," Yates said on Tuesday. "And you know, there's other kids out here with tattoos and piercing's and their parents signed for them, they had parental consent, I was the parent, I give consent for it, and I give it to my daughter."

Someone alerted officials with the Rowan County Department of Social Services, who then contacted the Rowan County Sheriff's Office.

The tattoo was of a heart shaped design on the girl's upper right arm, according to the warrant.

The report does not indicate whether the mother is licensed or permitted to tattoo, but state law requires people to be at least 18 years old to get a tattoo.

"I think that's pretty ridiculous," said Joe Dobbins. Dobbins is a tattoo artist with Inksane in Salisbury. He says a parent should never tattoo a child. Tattooing on a minor is really bad, let alone tattooing on your own child. I'm not really one to judge, but it being my profession, that's a little strange."

Tattooing is regulated state by state, and even county by county by various safety regulations.

"All of that comes first, before you put needle to skin all that stuff has to be accounted for and taken care of," Dobbins told WBTV. "You have to be registered with the Health Department, the Health Department has to permit you to tattoo."

Yates was given a written promise to appear in court on the misdemeanor offense later this month.

"I think it's wrong, I think my rights is being taken from me," Yates added, even admitting this is not the first time she's tattooed an underage person.

"I've given a 15-year-old a tattoo and I felt like if I could give a 15-year-old a tattoo I could give my own daughter a tattoo."

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